# Well-known obvious facts that a lot of people are ignorant of **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 28, 2016, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-obvious-facts-that-a-lot-of-people-are-ignorant-of/753294 "2016-04-28T00:06:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2016, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-obvious-facts-that-a-lot-of-people-are-ignorant-of/753294/21 "2016-04-28T11:47:02Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > šŸ˜• > > Iā€™ve got _a lot_ of cars, and am pretty sure none of them have this ā€œfeatureā€. Itā€™s usually pretty subtle, for example, [this one](http://www.aa1car.com/library/fuel_gauge_analog.jpg) points to the left. [Hereā€™s](http://www.eurocarnews.com/media/pictorials/2477/15568.jpg) one that points to the right. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2016, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-obvious-facts-that-a-lot-of-people-are-ignorant-of/753294/22 "2016-04-28T12:14:16Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > You know the spice you buy in small jars at the store? The spice likely contains _sand_. Because they put sand in it. Iā€™m gonna have to put a big ā€œI doubt thatā€ on this one. If my spices contained sand, Iā€™d be crunching it between my teeth. Stop buying your spices at the Dollar Store. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2016, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-obvious-facts-that-a-lot-of-people-are-ignorant-of/753294/23 "2016-04-28T12:32:16Z")
> [@faithfool](#): > > i did not know this, so i hope i remember. Very cool. iswydt šŸ™‚ ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2016, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-obvious-facts-that-a-lot-of-people-are-ignorant-of/753294/24 "2016-04-28T12:38:02Z")
If you put a plane on a treadmillā€¦ ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2016, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-obvious-facts-that-a-lot-of-people-are-ignorant-of/753294/25 "2016-04-28T12:38:03Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > šŸ˜• > > Iā€™ve got _a lot_ of cars, and am pretty sure none of them have this ā€œfeatureā€. Sometimes itā€™s not an arrow, itā€™s a little picture of a pump. My car is a recent model and has the little pump. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2016, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-obvious-facts-that-a-lot-of-people-are-ignorant-of/753294/26 "2016-04-28T13:16:17Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > šŸ˜• > > Iā€™ve got _a lot_ of cars, and am pretty sure none of them have this ā€œfeatureā€. Ms. Cupsā€™ car has this feature. Mine doesnā€™t. I think itā€™s about a 50/50 thing. You just must be really lucky. I recommend Vegas ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2016, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-obvious-facts-that-a-lot-of-people-are-ignorant-of/753294/27 "2016-04-28T13:19:40Z")
> [@Lemur866](#): > > That jello is rendered animal collagen. Surprisingly many people have no idea what it is, itā€™s just ā€œjelloā€. IME, people know itā€™s from animals, but they apparently think itā€™s keratin, not collagen - they insist itā€™s made of hooves, not hides and bones. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2016, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-obvious-facts-that-a-lot-of-people-are-ignorant-of/753294/28 "2016-04-28T13:28:36Z")
ā€œWell-known facts that people are ignorant ofā€ is a contradiction. Meanwhile, Air brakes on a truck do not use air pressure to set the brake, but to release it. The default position is for the spring-loaded brakes to be applied, and the air pressure from the running truck holds the brakes in the release position and allows it to rollā€¦ ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2016, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-obvious-facts-that-a-lot-of-people-are-ignorant-of/753294/29 "2016-04-28T13:37:03Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > Iā€™m gonna have to put a big ā€œI doubt thatā€ on this one. > If my spices contained sand, Iā€™d be crunching it between my teeth. > > Stop buying your spices at the Dollar Store. Of course spices have sand in 'em. They were just ground this morning! ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2016, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-obvious-facts-that-a-lot-of-people-are-ignorant-of/753294/30 "2016-04-28T13:46:25Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > There is always the obvious one that [pineapples do not grow on trees.](https://www.google.com/search?q=pineapple+plantation+photos&espv=2&biw=768&bih=379&tbm=isch&imgil=pkh7NwmGYne3jM%253A%253BEFNj46MzfhKvkM%253Bhttps%25253A%25252F%25252Fen.wikipedia.org%25252Fwiki%25252FPineapple&source=iu&pf=m&fir=pkh7NwmGYne3jM%253A%252CEFNj46MzfhKvkM%252C_&usg=__bseKREGDQI6oowgtxG04RyMfJ6U%3D&ved=0ahUKEwiJuPmMh7DMAhXD9h4KHVB9CN4QyjcILw&ei=d1YhV8mgFMPte9D6ofAN#imgrc=pkh7NwmGYne3jM%3A)You can ruin otherwise rational adultsā€™ day with that factoid. A surprising number of people not only do not know it, they think you are trying to play a joke on them when you break the cold, hard reality to them. > > Another is the idea that there is no gravity in space. Of course there is. That is why the Earth orbits the Sun and the Moon orbits the Earth. Gravity gets weaker the further away you go but it is still very much there. The reason people float in spacecraft is because they are constantly falling like a roller coaster that never ends, not because gravity isnā€™t there. Slowing down orbiting spacecraft allows them to fall at an angle that lets them actually hit something below. Stable orbits are just about falling so quickly that you always miss the surface. The pineapple one may be, in some circles, well known. Neither of these is obvious. Did you notice either one on your own or do you know them because you read them somewhere? ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2016, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-obvious-facts-that-a-lot-of-people-are-ignorant-of/753294/31 "2016-04-28T13:54:13Z")
> [@Lemur866](#): > > That jello is rendered animal collagen. Surprisingly many people have no idea what it is, itā€™s just ā€œjelloā€. Jell-O brand gelatin is made from animal products. If by jello you are broadly referring to flavored gel desserts, youā€™d have to look at the box. [Products aimed at the vegan and kosher markets are made from other substances.](http://www.peta.org/living/food/gelatin-alternatives/) ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2016, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-obvious-facts-that-a-lot-of-people-are-ignorant-of/753294/32 "2016-04-28T14:05:28Z")
Cold weather itself does not cause one to catch a cold. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2016, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-obvious-facts-that-a-lot-of-people-are-ignorant-of/753294/33 "2016-04-28T14:08:31Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > ā€œWell-known facts that people are ignorant ofā€ is a contradiction. > ā€¦ Along the lines of, ā€œNobody goes there anymore because itā€™s too damn crowdedā€? ([Yogi Berra)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yogi_Berra#.22Yogi-isms.22) ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2016, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-obvious-facts-that-a-lot-of-people-are-ignorant-of/753294/34 "2016-04-28T14:20:11Z")
I just checked my spice cupboard. The cumin, paprika, and chili powder all had sand in them. The cinnamon, nutmeg, and mustard didnā€™t say. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2016, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-obvious-facts-that-a-lot-of-people-are-ignorant-of/753294/35 "2016-04-28T14:22:01Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > You know the spice you buy in small jars at the store? The spice likely contains _sand_. Because they put sand in it. Where the hell do you shop? Arrakis? ---
**Author:** ![Pork\_Rind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pork_rind/32/111_2.png) [@Pork\_Rind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pork_Rind)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2016, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-obvious-facts-that-a-lot-of-people-are-ignorant-of/753294/36 "2016-04-28T14:31:45Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Where the hell do you shop? Arrakis? Itā€™s sad that at 7:30 in the morning I know Iā€™ve already had the best moment of my day. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2016, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-obvious-facts-that-a-lot-of-people-are-ignorant-of/753294/37 "2016-04-28T14:33:10Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > I just checked my spice cupboard. The cumin, paprika, and chili powder all had sand in them. The cinnamon, nutmeg, and mustard didnā€™t say. Stop putting your spices in your old hourglasses, you silly divinity! ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2016, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-obvious-facts-that-a-lot-of-people-are-ignorant-of/753294/38 "2016-04-28T14:34:25Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Where the hell do you shop? Arrakis? I just googled ā€œsand spiceā€ and Dr Oz was the one to discuss this, along with human hair in bread. No thanks. ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2016, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-obvious-facts-that-a-lot-of-people-are-ignorant-of/753294/39 "2016-04-28T14:36:00Z")
> [@faithfool](#): > > As for mine, itā€™s how many cell phone users I meet who donā€™t realize that you should turn off your mobile data while on your wifi. No need to pay to double dip, says I, and it saves on your battery too. Huh? My phones have always defaulted to wifi when available. I know this because when my wifi is up but the internet goes down, my phone stubbornly refuses to use the (working) mobile connection unless I go in and explicitly turn off wife. All of my smartphones have been like this. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2016, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-obvious-facts-that-a-lot-of-people-are-ignorant-of/753294/40 "2016-04-28T14:38:15Z")
Dr. Oz is an idiot. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-obvious-facts-that-a-lot-of-people-are-ignorant-of/753294.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-known-obvious-facts-that-a-lot-of-people-are-ignorant-of/753294.md?page=3)